Fernando Alonso names the best F1 driver he ever raced - and snubs Hamilton and Schumacher

Fernando Alonso has raced against some of the greatest ever Formula One drivers across his career, and now he has named the individual that he believes is undoubtedly the best.

The Spaniard began his F1 racing career in 2000 with Minardi, and 26 years later he is still competing in the sport as he drives for Aston Martin.

There are fans out there who would argue that the 45-year-old is among the greatest drivers to have competed in the sport, and he has had the success to back it up with his two World Championships.

Yet, perhaps his best campaign was when he dragged an uncompetitive Ferrari car into the 2012 drivers' championship battle with Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull, losing the title by only three points after a memorable final Grand Prix of the season in Brazil.

Vettel was not the only memorable rival that Alonso had throughout his career, as he had incredible battles with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton in the 2000s.

The Spaniard would get the better of the German in 2005 and 2006 as he lifted his two drivers’ titles, stopping Schumacher from adding to his record of seven F1 championships.

Hamilton had a memorable rivalry with Alonso in 2007 at McLaren, with the constructor opting to back the young British talent, which proved to be a wise decision as he won the 2008 title.

Felipe Massa of Brazil and Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and McLaren, Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Red Bull Racing, Michael Schumacher of Germany and Mercedes, Fernando Alonso of Spain and Ferrari and Bruno Senna of Brazil and Williams Getty Images

The British driver would go on to equal Schumacher’s record of seven F1 championships, making them the two most successful drivers in the sport.

In an interview with Viaplay, Alonso has now admitted that Max Verstappen is the best driver he has ever raced against.

The Spaniard said: “He is the best rival I have ever faced on the track, mainly because he simply has no weaknesses

“I give Max a 9.9. Why not a 10? Because I'm convinced he has a weak spot somewhere. Everyone does. We just haven't found his yet.

“When Max was seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, he had too much energy sometimes. He'd make a mistake, like entering the pit lane too fast. That's normal at that age. But after his second or third season, you didn't see that anymore.

“After that, it was just perform, perform, perform. He was exceptional and raised the bar for everyone. If you want to beat Max on track, you simply have to become better yourself.”